Lynnette asked me to post the following.

Van Jones ..AND Socially Just? video and discussion event - Appreciations
by Lynnette Allen

Tuesday evening was cold and windy outside but I came away from the Van Jones video and discussion feeling very warm and encouraged. (I think It is auspicious that this event occurred when it did, just before the caucus date and just after the Martin Luther King celebrations... and that today is my 70th birthday!)

I remember the thoughts I'd had during the discussion. I saw people of all colors, cultures, sexes, ages and beliefs sitting down together and telling each other their stories, and listening deeply, acknowledging and accepting--getting to really know each other. With that bond established, I envisioned us joining and going to work on our common goal of sustainability.

We had a small but excellent turnout for this event.
Thanks to all who came and all who participated.

So many helped create this event.
I want to thank the core planning team, Karen Hamaleinen, Joan Bishop and Dan Martin.
I want to thank Marie Marchand and the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center for providing the laptop and other equipment we needed and Marie for facilitating the discussion.
Thank you to the SB team members who helped at the event--Tiffany, Tom, Karen, Beth, Craig, Jeff, Rich and David.

Many authors and leaders of the greening-our-communities movement are embracing this whole systems, natural systems, view that shows how sustainability is dependent on not just the survival and well-being of the resources of the planet but also upon people's social well being and harmonious relationship, and that both of these are dependent upon an understanding that we, the planet and all beings are dependent on the thing that holds it all together and keeps it going, that is mysterious, that we may not understand, but that is everything--life itself.

This view reveals that we can't have success addressing one aspect without the others. I think that is what we haven't been seeing, have lost touch with--we've tried to divide it up and address each aspect separately and we have continued down a slippery slope to where we now find ourselves. But we are seeing that when we "get" it and "get together" what looked impossible, is possible--healing and making whole again our society and our home.

The tripartite vision of "an ecologically sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling presence on this planet" of the Pachamama Alliance, is reflected in the comprehensive visions of David Korten, in his book The Great Turning, and of Thom Hartmann in his book The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, as well as by Tim and Sally Erickson, producers of the What A Way To Go movie and organizations like the Bioneers, IONS, For The Grandchildren, Sustainable Global Leadership Alliance and many others. It is outlined by Paul Hawkins in his book Blessed Unrest, and now there is going to be the largest class ever offered, Oprah's, based on Eckhart Tolle's book, The New Earth. It is catching on!

There is a documentary film on the evening of Feb 21st sponsored by Bellingham IONS at Wise Awakening on this same subject that I believe is an excellent follow up to the Van Jones video.

Lynnette